What Do You Think?

"CPS" vs "DHS"
When I joined the police department in 1974, it was not unusual for us to receive calls from our dispatch office directing us to go to a specific location -usually a parking lot to meet with "CPS". CPS stood for Child Protective Services. They were an agency of The State of Iowa.
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Dave Brown, DMPD Retired

As you might imagine, I've given this a lot of thought (that by itself is a scary thought). Simple description that will brand me or anyone else who dares to talk publicly about it, hate monger and a racist.
On one hand you have the criminal justice system. On the other hand you have the minority community (for those who can't read between the lines, I'm speaking of the black community).
For many years, the problem between these two communities has always been the fault of the criminal justice system. All the fixes are always aimed at the police and never a syllable is spoken about correcting any problems in the minority community....Read More

Jim Trotter, DMPD Retired

Now hold on everybody, talk about a rush to judgment. It seems like everybody wants to go after this poor 18 year old illegal alien -Fernando Lopez Aguilar. He was the one driving the car at a speed that could be conservatively described as highly excessive. He ran a stop sign on the southeast side and hit another car and hit another car which ultimately hit another. He was driving a car with brakes that he knew did not work. He had an 8 month old infant in the back seat of the car. His actions took the life of 12 year old Lea Phann. He has caused a number of people to face the burden of massive financial hardship because he did not have insurance. Not to mention the horrible feeling of loss that Le Phann's family is having to endure. Five ambulances were called to the scene of the horrific accident he caused and wouldn't you know it, he is the only that wasn't hurt....Read More

David F. Brown, DMPD Retired

I have been retired from the police department for thirteen years now, I saw firsthand the problems that officers are dealing with on the street today, but to a lesser degree back in 2003 at the end of my career. But I knew this was coming. For years society has been demanding a kinder, gentler cop. When in reality society has been becoming more and more violent -not just toward the police but each other. Look what goes on in Chicago week after week. Dozens of people being shot, quite a few of them killed. We deal with the same problems here in Des Moines just not to the same magnitude....Read More